


Gotta Keep Smiling

by the10amongstthese3s



Category: Six - Marlow/Moss
Genre: Beheaded Cousins, Chicken Pox, Fluff, One Shot, anne is the best big sister figure
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-10
Updated: 2020-04-10
Packaged: 2021-03-01 20:08:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,109
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23582857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/the10amongstthese3s/pseuds/the10amongstthese3s
Summary: When Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard contract a nasty case of chickenpox, the girls are forced to self-isolate together. Thankfully, Anne is great at finding way to entertain her baby cousin.
Comments: 16
Kudos: 113





	Gotta Keep Smiling

Illnesses weren’t exactly uncommon in the Tudor Queens once they found themselves in the 21st century. There were so many more hygienic standards and so much more medical knowledge than in their former lives. Along with that, were so many new germs and never-before-seen illnesses. 

The women quickly had to learn to adapt.

Of course, they’d take supplements and eat well - well, unless Anne talked Cleves into a 2am KFC run - but that didn’t save their weakened immune systems from the occasional flu or stomach bug. Thankfully, after a while, the queens' bodies developed stronger immunities. Still though, the group had to be careful when it came to possible infections. 

They had to stay fit and healthy for the show if nothing else!

So, when Maggie had broken out in a rather severe case of chickenpox, it was no surprise that Anne Boleyn followed soon after. Then, of course, her baby cousin joined. Sometimes it was a good thing that the two were so inseparable. When it came to contagious illnesses though, it meant dealing with two grumpy, poorly former queens every single time something was going around. 

No matter how much they complained, the girls had to stay isolated. They couldn’t go to work, couldn’t go shopping. Hell, they couldn’t even eat their meals with the other queens!

The only saving grace was that they were allowed to be together, instead of being quarantined separately.

For Kit, the worst part was the mouth sores. The poor, feverish girl could barely speak. Every waking moment, she seemed to either be sucking on ice chips or crying for Jane to bring her more.

Anne, on the other hand, was struggling the most with the itchiness. Her entire body felt like it was on fire. At some point, Jane had clipped her nails and forced her to wear gloves just to stop her desperate scratching, but the gloves only worsened her fever, making the incessant itching even worse. 

If there was a hell, Anne imagined this is what it would be like.

Every moment she seemed to be searching for new ways to ease the pain for just a moment. Oatmeal baths, cold compresses, nothing seemed to help for more than a few minutes. Then, as predicted, the itching would return with a vengeance. As if punishing her for daring to try to relieve herself from the constant ache.

Yeah, definitely hell.

After what felt like a century - but was more likely around ten days - the girls were finally on the mend. Sure, they were still begging to scratch their blistered bodies, but the rashes were nowhere near as bad now as the boredom that was setting in. There’s only so much Pretty Little Liars you can binge before beginning to go slightly loopy. 

The girls weren’t meant to wander the house. In fact, they weren’t supposed to leave their rooms at all but, seen as the other queens were out doing some interview, Anne hatched a plan.

As desperate as she was to leave that prison, Kit opted to obey her cousin’s command for her to “wait there.” Somehow, it was even more boring without Anne in that room. Focusing on her phone, Kit gave a sigh and waited for Anne’s return.

Thankfully, it didn’t take too long for Anne to come rushing back upstairs with a grin on her face, instructing the girl to put a swimming costume on.

Swimming? 

Leaving the room was fair enough, but going to a swimming pool really did seem like a terrible idea. Still though, Kit did as she was told, throwing on her swim clothes before following Anne downstairs.

There, in the back garden, sat a tiny inflatable swimming pool they’d gotten the year before during a particularly grueling heatwave. Where had she even found it? Kit wasn’t sure, but the cool water sure did look soothing. Perhaps it wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

“Madame Kitty, may I present to you, your very own outside cinema!” Anne grinned, gesturing to the garden.

Attached to the garage directly opposite the pool was a white bedsheet with a laptop and a projector set ahead of it. Giving a grin, Anne pressed a button on the laptop and made the Studio Ghibli logo appear, earning an eager squeal from Kit as she dove to sit in the paddling pool.

Surprisingly, Anne had thought far enough ahead to position the pool under some trees so they’d be in the shade, and even set out some towels for when they needed to get out. It just goes to show, not all of the chaotic girl’s ideas were as terrible as you’d expect.

Running inside the house one more time, Anne returned with two bottles of water and an ice bucket filled with sugar-free ice pops Jane had bought for Kit’s mouth sores.

It truly was a wonderful plan.

Around an hour later, the others returned to find the girls still sat back in the pool, beaming away as My Neighbour Totoro played out on the makeshift cinema screen. Though they knew it was risky to let the girls wander out of their room, nobody could really blame them. It seemed like an eternity since they’d seen the pair look so genuinely happy.

So, without a second thought, the queens grabbed a couple of picnic blankets and made their way to the garden, sitting out in the glorious sunshine a few feet away from the cousins. The look of utter joy on Kit’s face spoke volumes to how much the simple interaction meant to the teenager.

At one point, Jane even brought out six plates of food, opting to turn their little garden party into a proper picnic.

That seemed to be the first meal they’d eaten together in centuries! It wasn’t much, but it made both cousins’ hearts jump. The normality of it all was strangely exhilarating. It struck the two with a sense of hope and positivity they’d lost during their time in isolation. The reassurance it brought was like a light in the darkness, guiding them back to familiarity.

That night, Kit was still smiling long after she fell asleep. For the first time in a long time, it felt as though they may soon be back to normal. They would finally be reunited with their family.

It's been said a million times that nothing lasts forever. The girls were eternally grateful that night to be able to see the truth in those words. A truth so many struggle to find in the darkness of their minds. It was true though. Everything was going to be okay.

Finally, Anne’s itching began to fade.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!! 💚 A little positivity for you all. I know it's hard right now but I promise all that's going on won't last forever. You are so much stronger than you know, my loves ☀️🦆


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